The Tragedy of Loki
by HuskieDawg
Summary: Loki: troubled trickster or deranged villain? Loki struggles to make his way in a world that is much stranger than he could have imagined, and makes many mistakes along the way. If villains are indeed "heroes in their own mind", then what drives Loki to do what he does? Events before the Avengers, during Dark World, and during Ragnorok in Loki's POV. Chapter 3 is up.
1. Chapter 1

"Loki! Loki no!"

Thor's shouts and sobs from the Bifrost echoed around Loki as he plunged into the abyss. He knew there was no going back now.

He shut his eyes, hoping to spare his sight from the kaleidoscope of color that flashed above him. His mind raced. There had to be a way out.

Loki focused his other senses and tried to figure out what was happening around him, to no avail.

Suddenly, he hit what felt like solid ground. Hard.

His leg buckled out from underneath him, and he let out a sharp gasp. He managed to catch himself on his elbows, and raise his head slowly to see where he was. Pain radiated up his left leg as he surveyed the scene, and he struggled to keep his breathing steady, and silent.

He lay on some type of rough, cold stone. Mist hung low in the surrounding area, and there was a heavy stench that seemed to cling to it. Loki gagged and looked up at the dark, starless sky. He'd never seen anything like it.

The rejection by his father stung him, and he whimpered silently. He tried to be strong and defiant on the Bifrost, but now he sat in the darkness grieving the ties with his family. He thought of Frigga. Thor and Odin would likely return to the castle without him, and her heart would break as they relayed Loki's tale. He'd failed her.

He sat up and drew his legs to his chest, wincing at the pain in his injured leg. Where was he? He'd never seen a realm like this before. Loki started to rise, but slid back down, groaning. He wasn't sure his leg could take it at this point.

"Who goes there?" a voice hissed from the shadows, and Loki froze.

He conjured his knife, and steadied himself.

"That knife will do you no good here," the voice rasped. "I won't ask another time. Who goes there?"

Loki attempted to make himself a little less pathetic, and glared sharply in the direction the voice was coming from.

"I am Loki," he paused here. "of Jotunheim."

The voice cackled from the shadows.

"Jotunheim?" the voice wheezed. "You make me out to be a fool, Loki of Asgard?"

"You are a fool." Loki snapped. "I was born a son of Laufey, but Odin stole me away."

"You can continue to lie to yourself, if you wish," the voice snarled. "but your heart resides on Asgard. You still consider it home."

Loki turned away from the voice, trying to conceal his pain.

"Ah yes," the voice murmured. "the sting of betrayal is fresh. You would make an excellent conqueror for my Master."

"I have no master," Loki stated. "and I will have nothing to do with yours."

"In stumbling into this realm, you have no choice," the voice echoed all around him now. "you join us or you die."

Loki struggled to his feet as a pair of hands grabbed him roughly by the shoulders. He swung his knife behind him, and he heard it tear roughly through what felt like cloth. He managed to conjure several illusions of himself as he slid silently to the ground. All the illusions crawled helplessly in the fog and Loki cloaked himself in mist, hoping to hide himself from his attacker.

His attacker stood in the gloom, turning from side to side. It stood on two legs, and was clothed in a hefty, but now torn, dark cloak.

"Where are you…" it whispered.

Its voice was cold and menacing, and Loki held his breath hoping it would not sense , the eerie being swung out at the illusions of Loki, making them vanish one by one. The being paused, hovering right above him, and leaned down.

"You think you can trick me," It breathed, touching Loki's face. "but no one can hide from me forever."

Loki shrieked as it grabbed him by the collar with one large, deformed hand. It clenched his jaw, and Loki hung limp in its grasp. There was no escape, especially since he was in no shape to run.

"Thanos will want to assess you, Asgardian." The withered creature growled. "you have potential..."

It yanked him forward, and dragged him along the ground. Loki winced and shut his eyes. There was no escape at this point, and it was becoming more and more apparent that more pain was in his future. He was thrust forcefully to the ground, and he raised his head to survey the scene.

Above him sat a large figure with deep violet skin. An elongated, square chin jutted out beneath the being's gold helmet, and his body was clad in golden armour. He sat upon some sort of throne, and he glowered down at Loki.

Loki spotted two women on either side of him. A blue skinned, bald women stood on the left, and a green skinned woman with flowing dark hair sharpened a knife menacingly to his right. Both were clad in leather armor, and appeared to have cybernetic enhancements.

"Look, my daughters." The being murmured. "The Other has brought fresh meat."

The Other gestured to Loki with his gruesome hand.

"Thanos," he greeted. "I have captured a son of Odin."

"A son of Odin?" Thanos echoed. "How strange. Not many Asgardians have strayed close enough to the Sanctuary for them to end up at my feet...and I have certainly never had the pleasure of having Asgardian royalty to mold into a conqueror."

"If he can survive the process." The blue skinned woman growled.

"Where are your manners, Gamora?" Thanos chuckled at her. "Let us propose to the Asgardian what his options are before we discuss the risks involved."

Loki shuddered, and looked as fiercely as he could at Thanos.

"What makes you think I'd conquer anything for you? Perhaps it is I that will make you-"

He snarled defiantly, but was cut off as the Other struck him firmly in the back of the head.

"You will not speak to me in such a way, boy." Thanos boomed. "You do not have many options in this place. You will die where you stand, or start the process of becoming truly powerful."

.

Loki looked up again, and looked pleadingly at the women on either side of Thanos. The blue skinned woman merely stared back coldly, but the green skinned woman looked hastily down at her knife. Was that sympathy, or perhaps worry he saw in her face? It was fleeting, but Loki recognized the expression of someone who felt trapped. He dropped his gaze once more.

"I do not wish to die." He murmured.

Perhaps the woman would have mercy and help him if he looked more vulnerable.

"Excellent." Thanos said. "Gamora, Nebula….prepare him to become a conqueror of Thanos."

The Other stepped away from Loki, and the two women moved forward. They grabbed him by his arms, and lifted him up. Loki heaved a sigh as they helped him maneuver away from Thanos and the Other. Perhaps everything would be alright.

They paused for a moment, and the blue skinned woman, Nebula, forged ahead. The green skinned woman, Gamora, steadied Loki on his feet.

"I must thank you." Loki sighed. "it has been very difficult for me recently, and I am grateful for your help."

Gamora seemed to wince at his words.

"Please don't thank me," she muttered. "I wish I could help you. Your family must miss you….I'm so sorry. There's nothing I can do for you."

Loki frowned. Her words did not sound promising.

Nebula approached from the fog, a slight smirk on her face.

"The Chitauri are ready." She stated.

"And the scepter?" Gamora growled.

"Dad says he'll take care of that." Nebula retorted.

"Perfect…" Gamora commented, and she turned her attention back to Loki. "Are you ready, your highness?"

Before he could answer, Nebula and Gamora guided him deeper into the fog. Sweat began to bead on his forehead as he noticed shadows rippling beyond the mist. Gamora and Nebula shoved him suddenly onto a stone platform, and began to secure chains to his ankles and hands. After he was secure, they leaped onto a wall that seemed to appear from out of nowhere

Loki's heart beat frantically in his chest. He'd never felt fear like this in his life.

"What is this?" He demanded.

The shadows came closer now, and he could hear an eerie chattering all around him. He glanced from left to right as they came to the edge of the platform.

"The Chitauri will only follow who they deem strong enough to lead." Nebula growled.

Loki looked frantically from side to side. Fear to rose like a sickly tide inside his chest, and he realized that by asking Thanos to be spared he would likely die. He could see the trick in it, how it could provide Thanos some sort of horrible enjoyment, but it disgusted him nonetheless. Thanos was a tyrant, and Loki now found himself crushed under his will.

"Please. Please no…" he pleaded, and he turned to Gamora. "Why would you let this happen?"

Gamora only folded her arms, and watched on as the Chitauri flung themselves upon Loki. Loki shrieked as he was bombarded by the Chitauri. They tore at his leather armor, electrocuted him with strange weapons, and beat him.

Loki tried to focus on anything else. Memories of Thor, Frigga, and Odin flooded his mind.

 _His mother grinning as he conjured his first illusion…_

Loki attempted to conjure his knife, but it was ripped from his hand. It fell to the floor with a clatter, and Loki waved his hand to conjure an illusion of a wolf behind him. Some Chitauri took aim at the illusion.

 _Thor dragging him into combat at Jotunheim, his eyes fierce as he let out an almost jovial battle cry…._

He struggled, and attempted to beat back his attackers, using his chains as best he could to beat the Chitauri back. Loki managed to land a few good hits, but was knocked onto his knees.

 _Odin explaining that he could see everything, thanks to the power he drew from Asgard, and the skills of his friend Heimdall…._

Loki choked. Could they see him now?

It was torture, and Loki wanted nothing more than to evaporate out of existence. After what seemed like an eternity, they vanished.

He was left found on the platform gasping for air. He sat numbly on the platform, his head down.

"Well, well." He could hear Gamora chiding from the wall. "He survived."

The two women released Loki, and dragged him back to Thanos. Loki didn't bother to raise his head. He kept his eyes down, and in between ragged breaths he could hear Thanos rise from his throne.

"Loki of Asgard," Thanos began. "welcome to my army."

Loki heaved, and looked up in time to see Thanos stretch forth a blue tipped staff. Thanos touched his chest with the scepter, and everything faded into a dark haze…..

The haze did not thin until what seemed like ages later, standing atop a skyscraper in New York. His brother was shaking him, hard, demanding that he look at the scene that had unfolded around him. Conflicted, Loki stabbed at Thor and slipped away. He blundered through the memories of the past few days. He was on Midgard, he was sure of that. But what was he doing? Who was he?

He tried to blink the rest of the haze away, but it kept creeping back into his mind. Thanos, the Tesseract, Midgard….

And then there was the monster. He bellowed in front of him, veins popping in his green face.

"Enough!" Loki snarled back, his irritation at the beast almost match his frustration with the haze in his mind. "I am a god, you dull creature, and I will not be bulli-"

The Hulk grabbed Loki and slammed him into the ground repeatedly. After he seemed satisfied, he left Loki lying in a pile of rubble, groaning pathetically.

He lay there, eyes wide, as everything rushed back to him. The haze was clear now, and Loki recognized now the control that Thanos had exercised over him. He had become a pawn in Thanos' game, and a monster in the eyes of Midgardians. He lay still, trying to sort through what had happened, the things he'd done under Thanos' spell….

There was no way around it, Thanos had turned him into something he wasn't: a villain, a monster, and a tyrant. So now, what could he do? Thanos would likely come for him now. Loki's mind spun. There were no real options. If he slipped away, Thanos would likely destroy Asgard in the hunt for him. But, if he surrendered and allowed Thor to take him prisoner….perhaps he could warn Thor and Odin of the dangers lurking in Thanos' distant part of the universe.

He sighed and turned to face the Avengers, now gathered around him. Hawkeye sat poised, ready to launch an arrow into him if he misbehaved. Loki attempted a good natured chuckle.

"I think I'll have that drink now."


	2. Chapter 2

Loki was grabbed roughly by Thor, and shoved after the other Avengers. Barton kept glaring over his shoulder, and Loki dropped his eyes to the ground. After being placed in a containment chamber in chains, he gave himself a moment to catch his breath.

Memories of the events in the past few days did not seem to be coming back to Barton, but perhaps with proper focus Loki could make sense of what had gone on. Legs crossed, he sat on the ground with his eyes closed. His head still ached from his encounter with the Hulk, but inklings of memories began to swirl around his mind.

"Loki." Thor's voice roused him from his thoughts, and he lifted his gaze to look his brother in the eye.

"Thor," he began. "I know what you're thinking, but you're going to have to listen to me."

"How could I even begin to listen to you?" his brother lamented. "All this destruction…"

"You don't understand." Loki snapped. "Please, Thor. Do you really think conquering Midgard would benefit me in some way? I would never desire all of this. There is a titan...Thanos. He-"

But Thor shook his head.

"Enough, Loki."

Tears were rolling down the brute's cheeks, and Loki held his tongue. An emotional Thor was usually not to be trifled with.

"I'm taking you back to Father." Thor concluded, after a moment. "He will know what to do with you."

Loki's eyes narrowed as anger flashed through his veins. If Loki were presented to Odin, there would be no telling what would become of him.

"So that's it then? You're just going to toss me at Father? You won't even hear my case?"

"There is no case!" Thor roared. "You destroyed a city of humans. You have no place to defend yourself. I've already informed Father of your treachery, Loki."

Loki glared fiercely at Thor. He had grown dumber since their last encounter, apparently. If he refused to listen, perhaps it would be all too right for Thanos to arrive on the steps of Asgard.

"Fine." Loki seethed. "Don't listen to me...but mark my words: when Thanos arrives, you're going to wish you had."

Thor turned away and called out to someone around the corner.

"Is there any way to silence him?" He could hear his brother demand.

Loki was later muzzled, and dragged down Stark Towers by Thor to make the journey back to Asgard. Thor led Loki across the Bifrost in silence, but Loki could hear an occasional sniffle from his brother.

Looking to distract himself from the agonizingly somber mood, Loki focused on Thor. He looked different from the last time he'd seen his brother. There was an air of fatigue about him now, and despite the tear that glistened in his eye, he seemed more composed. It was then he noticed that the armor covering Thor's forearms had Loki's battle helmet etched on the surface.

Loki's heart sank, and he turned away. Carving a symbol in remembrance of fallen comerades was a sign of utmost respect, and it was a respect that Loki had destroyed after he survived his fall and attempted to conquer Midgard under the grip of Thanos' mind control.

The journey home grew increasingly more difficult as they passed through the streets of Asgard. Children gaped up at Loki in horror, and a group of women turned to whisper amongst themselves as he passed by. A man hurled a mug of ale at Loki's head and shouted insults. Loki winced. If they knew what had really happened, perhaps they wouldn't be so disrespectful.

A memory rushed back to him, and he saw himself standing in front of a kneeling crowd of Midgardians in Germany. The power of the Tesseract had been so alluring under the control of Thanos. It had turned him into something he wasn't. So why, now, did he still crave the authority and power it had given him?

The royal castle loomed ahead of them now, and Loki's heart felt as if it were going to beat out of his chest. Anxiety gripped him. There was a chance Odin would not see him, and could have I'm executed or cast out instead. He took a deep breath. No. Frigga would not allow that...would she?

A wall of guards, the warriors three, and Lady Sif greeted Thor and Loki at the entrance to the castle. Thor shoved Loki roughly to a guard, who led him down a dark staircase to a prison cell. The muzzle was torn from his face, and he sat alone behind a forcefield.

Before he realized he was not alone in the cell.

"Loki," a soft voice murmured from the corner of his cell, and he turned to see his mother.

"Mother!" Loki's voice came out as a squeak, and he rushed over to embrace her.

However, the embrace was cut short as he realized his arms passed through her form.

"You didn't think I'd actually come here, did you?" She asked. "Your father would be furious."

Loki nodded.

"Tell me you didn't really attempt to conquer Midgard," Frigga pleaded, her blue eyes were filled with emotion.

"Unfortunately, I did." Loki admitted. "But I was under some kind of mind control. By a titan named Thanos."

"Thanos?" Frigga repeated.

"I know, it doesn't sound real, but-"

"I believe you."

Loki's jaw dropped.

"Thanos is a name haven't heard in ages." Frigga continued. "Long before you were born, your father had a general…"

Her emotions were almost unreadable as she trailed off. It was as if she were recalling something she'd kept locked away for centuries, but she carried on.

"She was his most trusted general. Together, they united the Nine Realms, but that changed after she came to me to discuss someone she'd met...Thanos."

"Thanos?" Loki echoed.

"She'd told me that Thanos could provide for her a second army to command. It was one that could conquer kingdoms beyond the Nine Realms. The general was frustrated because your father and the other generals did not want anything to do with conquering anything beyond the Nine Realms, and I agreed with them...she became ruthless after that. She attempted to usurp your father's throne, and was the one responsible for the deaths of all of the Valkyrie. And then one day, she disappeared."

"Did she appear to be under Thanos' control?" Loki inquired. "Since I wasn't going to follow his orders willingly, he used a scepter to control me."

"That was the unfortunate thing about this general." Frigga sighed. "She already had it in her nature to be merciless. As strong as she was, she could never control her ambitions."

As Frigga finished her tale, Loki nodded slowly.

"Is that why you never sent Thor and I to assist the Valkyrie?" he asked. "Because she was too strong?"

"Indeed." Frigga sighed. "The Valkyrie all died horrific deaths at the hands of this general, and I didn't want to see my sons die at her hands as well."

"What happened to her?"

"I don't know." Frigga murmured. "Your father faced her, and she was never heard from again. I will talk with your father about your encounter with Thanos. Certainly he will see your case, once he knows the truth."

She smiled at Loki, and placed a hand on his cheek before vanishing. He held back tears as he began to pace his cell. His mother was always so wise, and knew exactly how to help him.

Frigga visited him everyday, even after Odin had sentenced Loki to life imprisonment. She brought him books, and made sure he wasn't alone. It was all too kind of her, but Loki was grateful. He vented frustrations to her, and she listened carefully. Until one day, she stopped coming.

A guard had approached Loki's cell, and inquired after him.

"Loki, I am to inform you of the death of your mother, Queen Frigga." the guard's voice cut Loki like a knife, and he turned his head. "She was killed at the hands of the Dark Elves, defending Lady Jane. I am so sorry."

Loki couldn't breathe, but he nodded politely. Thoughts began to flood his mind. A mere guard was sent to tell him. Would it have killed Thor or Odin to tell him in person? Pain and grief rose in his throat. She was gone. Frigga was gone.

"Thank you," he whispered. "What is your name?"

"Skurge."

"Thank you Skurge."

As Skurge left, Loki let out a cry like a wounded animal, sending everything flying in his cell. The only person who truly cared about him was gone.


	3. Chapter 3

Loki let out a sharp gasp as the monster turned and pulled him into the spear he had just stabbed it with. In the moments he hung from the blade, he quickly grabbed hold of the black hole grenade on the monster's belt, and activated it. Clutching his chest, Loki was thrust forcefully onto the gravel. Although his vision was starting to blur, he held the monster's gaze fiercely.

"See you in Hel, monster." Loki snarled, and the beast was enveloped in a black hole, screaming.

As it vanished, Loki began to realize what his play had just cost him. His heart was fluttering frantically, and he could feel energy ebbing from him. He was dying.

"No, no..." Thor's voice seemed to crack with effort. "You fool, you didn't listen…"

Was that grief Loki sensed?

"I know...I am a fool." Loki gasped, trying to meet his brother's gaze. "I'm a fool!"

He reached back for his chest, squirming in pain.

"Stay with me. Stay!" Thor yelped, Loki could spot tears glinting in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" Loki pleaded, as if his apologies made some difference.

But Thor reached out for his brother, his gaze softening. At once, Loki knew Thor recognized how this would end. He rested his head back on his brother's hand.

"Shh...It's alright. I'll tell father what you did here today." Thor shushed, and Loki could see him fighting an expression of anguish.

How silly of Thor. Did he not realize the apathy Odin felt for Loki? After all they'd been through. Surely he didn't believe Loki was doing this all for a selfish man who had never truly cared for anything but himself.

"I didn't do it for him." Loki croaked, and shuddered as a wave of cold enveloped him.

Darkness crept into the outer reaches of his vision, and he shut his eyes, supposing he would never again open them…

The darkness was heavy, but something rough prodded Loki's side.

"Well he seems to be dead, but we can't know for sure!"

A voice seemed to stir his conciousness. Was that Fandral?

"Did you check to see if he's breathing, you idiot?"

Another voice came from nearby. That was Sif.

"Ew, I don't want to check." Fandral replied.

"Move over," Sif snapped, and he felt her hand roughly on his throat. "I don't believe it."

"What, is he alive?!"

"He is," she murmured. "Loki, Loki can you hear me?"

Loki forced his eyes open, as Sif's face faded into view.

"Sif?"

"Fandral, go get the cruiser." she ordered Fandral, before turning back to Loki. "What happened."

Loki's breath came in ragged gasps as he struggled to make sense of what was happening. He was alive…

"The Aether…" he rasped. "We managed to free Jane from it. But Malekith took it to Midgard, and I was stabbed…"

"I can see that." Sif quipped. "You're quite lucky to be alive."

"I don't know why you're so surprised, Sif." Fandral called out, he sounded as if he were walking towards them now. "Do you not remember the time I was stabbed by a frost giant on Jotunheim? Loki's a tough one! If I can survive being stabbed in the chest, certainly he can."

"That is a fair point," Sif agreed. "But we'll still need to get him back to Asgard."

"If we bring him back, I'm not sure Odin will be willing to treat his wounds." Fandral noted ominously. "He didn't seem keen on keeping Loki safely locked up with Frigga gone."

"Of course." Sif looked thoughtful. "Perhaps he could disguise himself as the guard who came with us."

"The one that stepped of the cliff after we landed?!"

"Yes." Sif concluded.

"You expect me to conjure enough magic to make myself appear as this guard in my condition?" Loki piped in, writhing as a wave of burning pain tore through him. "You'd think I'd say in the matter."

"It's either that or we leave you here." Sif pointed out.

"Alright," Loki huffed. At least give me a chance to catch my breath...what does the guard look like?"

"He's the one who used to patrol the East wing of the castle." Sif stated.

"Really?" Loki looked up in shock. "He used to help Thor and I sneak out when we wanted out of the castle. How sad."

Sif nodded.

"We'll meet you at the cruiser when you're ready."

Loki allowed himself a few strong breaths before rolling himself over. It was painful, but it could be done. Chest heaving, he pushed himself up, and stood rather shakily. Sighing, he transformed into the East Wing guard. As the cruiser traveled back through the portal into Asgard, Loki focused on keeping his breathing steady. All he had to do was hold this illusion. Once they were at the castle, he could head to the healers. Perhaps he could even start a new life…

After landing, Loki stumbled a few steps from the cruiser and leaned against the wall.

"Right," he panted. "To the healer."

"Odin requested the East Wing guard report back." Sif stated. "Fandral is to meet with Valstagg and Hogan, but I can accompany you to Odin's throne to report."

Loki glanced up at her.

"Are you serious?" he chided. "You expect me to hold this form long enough to report to Odin, in my condition?"

As he spat these words at her, he became overwhelmingly dizzy and slumped to his knees.

Sif rolled her eyes and lifted him up.

"Fine." she hissed. "But you know how Odin feels about a late report."

She dragged Loki to the healers, and relief flooded him as he was bandaged tightly with a gold ointment covering his wound. His pain was reduced to an annoying throb, and warmth flooded his chilled limbs. A smile began to creep onto his face. Everything was going to be okay.

They lingered only a few minutes before Sif whisked him back towards Odin's throne room. As they walked, Sif turned to Loki.

" Loki, why _did_ you attack Midgard?" she inquired.

"It wasn't my choice," Loki responded evenly. "I was under the control of a Titan with a scepter that could control minds. He sent me, under his control, to fetch the Tesseract. And now…."

His voice trailed off as he realized how strange it truly was. The scepter, the Tesseract, the Aether...they all resembled Infinity Stones.

"And?" Sif whispered.

"The Aether." He concluded. "Sif, have you heard of the Infinity Stones?"

When she shook her head, he continued.

"If Thor is able to recover the Aether, it will need to be hidden." He trailed off, as they had arrived at Odin's throne room.

The scuffed gold walls and broken pillars seemed to make the hall seem empty, and Odin looked so small on his throne. Loki knelt down in front of his father.

"Forgive me, my liege." Loki cleared his throat. "I've returned from the Dark World with news."

"Thor?" Odin asked, his eye glimmering.

"There was no sign of Thor, or the weapon, but…"

"What?"

"We found a body." Loki finished darkly.

"Loki." Odin murmured, looking away.

There was a pause, and Loki held his breath, willing Odin to say something. Suddenly, Odin let out a mournful howl. Taken aback, Loki stumbled backwards. What was happening?

Odin's screams turned louder as he tumbled from his throne, clawing at the stone. Shaking, Loki approached him, dropping his guise.

"Father," he murmured. "It's me. It's Loki."

He glanced at Sif, who looked bewildered.

"What have you done?"

"Nothing," Loki mumbled, attempting to lift Odin to his feet. "I told him my body was foundm and he went mad."

Sif helped him lift Odin.

"We've got to do something," Sif muttered, as they tried to move Odin out of sight.

"I have an idea," Loki said, looking at her with concern. "But you're going to have to trust me."

Sir and Loki stood in Midgardian apparel outside the New York nursing home, and watched as Odin puttered around the courtyard with an idyllic smile on his face. A breeze rustled the budding blossoms of nearby trees, and Loki heaved a sigh.

"He does look happier than I've ever seen him." Sif commented.

"He does." Loki agreed. "I've cast a spell on him to keep him calm and at peace. He thinks he is a retired poet, and that he has lived his entire life in this city."

Sif nodded, and Loki turned to walk back down the sidewalk.

"Loki," Sif called after him. "If you were under Thanos' control, then I don't think you need to continue to punish yourself. I believe you."

He turned.

"You do?"

"Yes." she replied. "I've seen some strange things, and if what you've told me is true, we need to act fast."

Loki nodded.

"We do. I can cover as Odin, so Asgard doesn't have to suffer more loss. I will need you to find a safe place for the Aether." He explained. "Can you do that for me?"

She took his arm in hers.

"Leave it to me."


End file.
